If You Really Knew Me…I Took an Old Friend Down Tonight

It’s Thursday and time for Mama’s Losin It Writing Prompts. My choice is – If you really knew me, you would know that…..

You would know that I get hooked on books. Or more accurately hooked on words. That leads to a lot of rereading of phrases, paragraphs or the whole book. I think I may have an addictive personality.

Any way the old friend I took down was not someone I demolished in any way as the title suggested, but an old book I pull down from the shelf now and then.

One of my addictions from about twenty odd years ago is Dean Koontz. The book tonight is a fav and it was published way back in ’88 called Lightning.
This book not for it’s first line but for the gripping tale he tells. Good suspense although the first line is pretty good.

I mention first lines because I am a sucker for them. Charles Dickens, my absolute hero was best at it. Who could forget the first line in …A Tale of Two Cities….”It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch …”

Of course that story also had the most memorable last line also…”It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a …”

But for me and Mr. Koontz possibly, the best first line was in a book called Winter Moon and the line is… “Death was driving an emerald green Lexus.”

In my dreams that’s the way I want to start a book. With a line so gripping you have no choice but to dive in filled with excitement and anticipation. (Anticipation is another addiction). sigh…soon I will have no secrets from you!

Oh and just for your information I do tend to fall for any good line – but that would be another blog!

21 thoughts on “If You Really Knew Me…I Took an Old Friend Down Tonight”

I love Dean Koontz…I have read several of his, not sure which ones. I guess It’s time to re read those. When I moved last year I had a huge collection of his and had to let it all go. I am building back my book shelf. I found an awesome site today called: http://www.yournextread.com/us/
Congrats on your 100th post, and for keeping up. I admire you. Your fan Jackie

I love Dean Koonntz! I love how his bad guys are so way beyond bad and the good guys are just wonderful, and the bad guys always get their comeuppance and there’s always a lovely dog in there somewhere. Only problem is I can only buy his books if I have time because once I’ve started I’m not going anywhere until its finished!

Hi again Chris. With nothing better to do I picked up a very old copy of Mayhew’s London. A book my husband had for ages and one I cant bear to let go.

Anyway the opening line is – Of the thousand millions of human beings that are said to constitute the population of the entire globe, there are – socially, morally, and perhaps even physically considered – but two distinct and broadly marked races, viz., the wanderers and the settlers – the vagabond and the citizen – the nomadic and the civilized tribes.

Well having read just the first sentence (52 words) I am exhausted and have to go and have a lie down (with the book) and get another glass of wine.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” – Animal Farm by George Orwell.

No exactly a gripping or exciting line, but it’s one of my favourites because of the meaning behind it and the relevance it had when the book was written and also the relevance it still holds today. The book is one of my favourites just for it’s sheer simplicity, political satire at its best.